It is interesting to note that the story of Moses’ birth is so similar to the story of the origin of King Sargon of Akkad. Both were unwanted and meant to die shortly after birth, but “miraculously” survived. Both appealed to the common people and became the great leaders. But Sargon (2340-2305 BC) was supposedly born before Moses (1391-1271 BC), so did the Jews copy the story from Akkadians or was it simply in vogue at the time for a future leader of the common people to be born of such circumstances?

“Sargon, the strong king, the king of Akkad, am I. My mother was a high priestess, my father I do not know. My paternal kin inhabit the mountain region and my home city is Azupiranu (meaning the Saffron city), which lies on the bank of the Euphrates River. My mother, a high priestess, conceived me and bore me in secret. She placed me in a reed basket and caulked my hatch with pitch, then she abandoned me to the river, from which I could not escape. The river carried me along and brought me to Akki, the water drawer.”

Actually, so were Gilgamesh (2,500-2,700 BC), Odessius (1178 BC?), Perseus (700 BC, by Hesiod), Romulus and Remus (770 BC) - were also supposedly exposed as infants.It tells me that the story of the fight and triumph of the underdog that is so popular in our days may not be such a recent phenomenon, after all. Perhaps the time of the underdog simply marks a point of turnover.

Akhenaten was indeed an unconventional and peculiar ruler, but, time-wise, he doesn’t quite seem to fit (although, despite that, there may still have been potential intermingling of both cultures possible, even at the very seat of power). His mother is not of royal lineage, per se, but from a wealth land owning family, and his grandmother was a priestess, possibly connected to royal lineage.

It is not really any big deal but Moses was not unwanted. His mother did love him so to save him from the Pharaoh's edict that all Jewish baby boys be killed, she and her daughter put him in a basket and hid him by the side of the Nile River. His sister watched over him until the daughter of the Pharaoh came to wash clothes and found him. She took him in as her own son and Moses' sister and Mom made a plan for his own mother to be his nurse by telling the Pharaoh's daughter that she knew someone who could be his nurse.

“How can a bird that is born for joySit in a cage and sing?” ― William Blake